Zara

“Zara is a very obvious and excellent example of the definition of a peninsula in a child’s geography book: “A piece of land surrounded on three sides by water”. The three sides are three straight lines, and the narrow streets with their neat right-angled corners still suggest a Roman origin. Across the bay the fertile land where grow the famous cherry-trees slopes up to low hills with mountains in the distance, while the island of Ugliano lies between it and the open Adriatic. Zara has long since lost those splendid walls which filled the hearts of the Crusaders with admiration and apprehension, but on the harbour front, where the ships can tie up alongside, there still remains the beautiful fortifications of Sanmichele the great Venetian engineer, now with a pleasant shady walk along the top. […]. On the north and west the fortifications have unfortunately disappeared and acacias line the water’s edge in their stead, but on the land side there still stands the splendid Porta di Terrafirma. Even this has suffered from “modern improvements”, for a roadway has been made across the moat which the Venetians dug and the lower part of the gateway is hidden, but even so it remains one of the finest examples of Sanmichele’s military architecture. […]. Within the gate a modern road swings away to the left, while straight ahead runs a narrow flagged street which immediately suggests Venice. It is described as “one of the two main thoroughfares of Zara”, but it is typical of one of the delights of Dalmatian towns; as it is far too narrow for a motor car, the luckless pedestrian is once again monarch of all he surveys, and he may stop and stare and talk and read his guide-book in perfect safety. At the end of this narrow street is the Piazza dell’Erbe where the country people, who have landed from their boats at the quay just below, sell vegetables and large tightly tied bunches of flowers (pp. 44-46).

Passing out of the Piazza round the Corinthian column a short street leads to the Cathedral, with its fine arcaded façade and its three handsome doorways. […]. While there is a fine Piazza at the west end of the Cathedral it is impossible to see either the south side or the east end owing to the buildings which crowd round it, but above the narrow Corso on the north side there is beautiful arcading just below the eaves. Straight on, the Corso leads to the Piazza dei Signori with the clock tower, the Municipio and a loggia, much of the beauty of which has been destroyed as the arches have been filled in with windows; it must be admitted that they are necessary as the building is now the Town Library. The whole of the charming little Piazza might have been transported bodily from some town in Northern Italy (pp. 49-51).

The inhabitants of Zara are far too modern to wear beautiful clothes. The blight of the standardization of the “ready-made” so dear to democracy has passed over the town, and the traveller must not expect to have his eyes gladdened as were those of Sir George Wheeler when he landed in 1675. He was received by the Governor and officers of the Garrison in scarlet robes, “exactly like those of the University of Oxford”, while the local troops wore a uniform very like the costume of the Dalmatian peasants of to-day. Sir George was one of those unusual travellers who are interested in everything; […], but as he makes no mention of maraschino it can only be assumed that he never tasted it. To the question in the geography book, “For what is Zara noted?” the modern reply would be, “Maraschino, made from the wild cherries which have a peculiarly delicate flavour”. It is very sweet, and whether it is better drunk neat or when met with in a grape fruit is a matter which every palate must decide for itself (pp. 54-55)”.